Improvement in vents for beer-barrels



Nrrnn STATns ATTNT TTron IMPROVEMENT IN VENTS FOR BEER-BARRELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 162,066, dated April 13, 1875; application filed January 11,1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, J osnPH HINDEMYER and EDWARD BEINKMPEN, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vents for Beer-Barrels; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full7 clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specilication, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a view of our device applied to a beer-barrel standing on its head. Fig. 4 is a top view. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a beer-barrel lying on its side having our device applied.

rIhe object of our invention is to provide a device by which the requisite amount of air to permit the free 110W of the liquid may be supplied to beer-barrels without permitting the escape by ventage of the carbonio acid contained therein.

Heretofore when a'barrel of beer had been tapped and nearly all drawn off, it was customary t-o remove the bung so as to admit air to obtain the required atmospheric pressure to produce a dow of the remaining liquid; but by removing the bung the carbonio acid was permitted to escape from the beer, which thereupon beca-me flat.

By the employment of our device the requisite amount of air Will be admitted automatically, and this supply may be cut oft' in cases where a part of a barrel of beer is kept over night, or for any lengthy period of time.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A shows the body of the vent, provided with a stem, B, for driving in thc cork, said body and stem having a longitudinal bore, c, and the latter transverse passages b b, communicating with said bore a. The body A is formed with a conical shoulder, O, having an india-rubber jacket, c, and is also provided at its upper extremity with a cup, D. rlhe cup D has a screw-cap, d, and a seat, d1, for the check-valve d2.

The vent is designed to be placed vertically in the barrel or keg, so that air entering through the passage d3 Will raise the valve d2, and pass through the opening d4 into the bore a, and thence to the barrel.

E is a stop-cock, by Which the passage of air through the vent may be controlled or cut oft', as already described.

The operation is as follows: The barrel or keg of beer being placed in the position shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 5, the cork, located at f, is driven in by placing the stem B endwise upon it, and driving the vent down until the shoulder (l, with its jacket c, takes the place of said cork. The cock E is then turned to occupy the position shown in Fig. 1. As the liquid in the vessel is drawn off, the requisite amount of air to take the place of it and of the carbonic acid is supplied automatically through the valve d2.

Should there be any liquid remaining to be kept over night, or for any long period, the cock E will be turned to close the passage a and avoid the admission of air, thus preserving life in the beer, and preventing its becoming flan Instead of putting the vent in the place of the cork at j', it may be substituted for the bung. In this case, the stem B need not be employed, as the bung must be taken out, not driven in, and the vent may then be made as shown in Fig. 2, its lower extremity terminating with the shoulder C.

Said shoulder C is preferably threaded or ribbed on its outer surface, so as to give a more secure bearing for the india-rubber jacket c, and prevent its accidental displacement in putting in or removing the vent.

rIhis vent may, of course, be used with other malt liquors as Well as beer, and it matters not Whether the barrel stand on its head or lie on its side.

What We claim as our invention is 1. The vent apparatus, consisting of the body A, having the vertical stem B and cockplug E,and surmounted by the cup D containing the check-valve d2 and air-passage d3, said cock-plug being constructed and arranged as shown, to close and open communication between the cup and stem, substantially as de- We have hereunto set our hands this 7th day scribed. of January, 1875.

2. A vent for beer-barrels, having a eheek- JOSEPH HINDEMXER. valve to prevent the escape of liquor, and a EDWARD BEINKAMPEN. cock to regulate the iow of air, substantially Witnesses as shown and described. J N0. A. BELL,

In testimony that We claim the foregoing M. DANL. GONNOLLY. 

